Spring group



Fell 2, 1954 R. B. coTTRELL ETAL SPRING GROUP Filed April l2. 1949 Illsll Patented Feb. 2, 1954 SPRING GROUP Robert B. Cottrell, Chica ardson, Jr., St. Charles can Steel Foundries tion of New Jersey go, and Arthur T. Rich- Ill., assignors to Amer- Chicago, Ill., a corpora- Ap'plication April 12, 1949, serial No. 87,046

8 Claims.

This invention relates to a package spring group of the type commonly utilized to support a bolster from the side frame of a railway car truck.

A general object of the invention is to devise a package group of the above-described type wherein one of the spaced spring plates of the group comprises a novel friction housing integrally formed with the spring positioning anges of the plate and having a pair of spaced ledges at each end of the housing adapted to afford wedge surfaces for an associated friction shoe.

A further object of the invention is to provide novel retainer means for limiting expansion of the spring group and retaining the same in precompressed positie A more specific object of the invention is to devise a package group, such as above described, wherein one of the spring plates is provided with a hollow friction post having an internal web or wall cooperating with retainer means removably mounted on the .other plate to limit expansion of the group.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following specification and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a composite top plan view of a package spring group embodying the invention, the left half of Figure 1 being a top plan view of the group and the right half being a top plan view with the top spring platev and friction shoe removed;

Figure 2 is an end elevational view of the group partly in section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a side elevational view.

Describing the invention in detail, the novel package spring group comprises top and bottom spring plates, generally designated 2 and 4, having four spring units, each consisting of an outer coil spring 6 and an inner coil spring 8 compressed between the plates. Each of the plates is provided with cored openings I aligned with the coil springs 8 and is provided with a plurality of positioning lugs I2 adapted for reception within complementary openings of the associated supportedv and supporting members, such as a bolster and side frame (not shown) of a conventional railway car truck. In this connection it may benoted that the group may be inverted with the plate 4 at the top and the plate 2 at the bottom.

The top plate 2 is provided with arcuate end iianges I4 merging -with-lateralor side iianges I6, said flanges beingl adapted to afford positioningv means for the springs 6 and 8. The top plate 2 also .comprises an integral depending friction housingA including spaced end Walls I8 integrally formed with the anges I6. Each of the end walls is formed with a pair of spaced ledges 20 sloping downwardly and inwardly and aiTord wedge seats for an associated friction shoe, as hereinafter described.

The end walls I8 are connected by a pair of side walls 22, the external surfaces of which are reinforced by gussets 24 connected to the underside of the plate 2 at approximately the longitudinal vertical center` plane of the group. The side walls 22 are arcuately formed as at 28 and converge inwardly, as best seen in Figure 3, to merge with the lower ends of the ledges 20.

The plate 2 is provided with a pair of `V-sl'iaped sociated friction shoes, as hereinafter described. Each friction plate 42 is engaged by a main or -friction wall 52 of a friction shoe, generally designated 54, said shoe for urging the ledges 5B against the engaged ledges 20 and thereby urginnermost, retracted position within the frictionA housing. The springs 6 and 8 are then inserted between the plates 2 and 4 which are seated thereg against and the strap 34 is then'inserted into, the hollow friction post 38 through an opening 65 'in the plate 4 provided for that. purpose. The legs 32 of the strap 34 are then entered into the slots of the plate 2 and are welded in the position shown in Figure 2 with the springs 6 and 8 slightly precompressed, if desired. Thereafter, the means are removed from the openings S2 and 64 permitting lthe shoe actuating springs E!! to urge thel shoes into frictional engagement with the plates 42 of the hollow friction post 38, as shown inthe drawings.

Thus it will be understood that We have devised a novel package 'spring group of simple constructionand capable of easy assembly. The novel unit also comprises, a removable retainer capable ofquick assembly and disassemblyand located at the center of the group thereby eliminating the necessaryl for a plurality of retainers at opposite ends or sides thereof, such as are known in the prior art.

We claim:

1.,A package spring group comprising spaced spring plates, a plurality of springs confined therebetween, a friction post carried by one plate, Y

'an opening extending through said one plate and through said post from end to end thereof, spaced slots through the other plate, a U-shaped strap in'sertable through said opening and having spaced'legs insertable into respective slots, means securing said legs in said slots, friction means carried .by said other plate for frictional engagement with the. post, and means connected to the post within said opening and disposed between said legs for engagement with the strap to limit expansion of the group.

2. A spring group, according to claim l, wherein .the-,post is `,provided with atleast one key slot registrable Vwith the space between the legs of the strap when the group lis precompressed.

3. Apackage spring group comprising spaced spring plates,a plurality of springs therebetween, a frictionrpost supported by one plate, an openingextending through said one plate and through said post Yfrom end to end thereof, a U-shaped strap `insertable through said opening and having spaced legs secured to theother plate, friction means carried by said otherplate for developing friction `against spaced external surfaces of the post, and a rib in said opening integrally formed with said post and disposed between said legs, said rib being engageable with said strap to limit expansion of the group.

inApackage spring group, according to claim 3, wherein the post is provided with spaced slots disposed in the plane of said rib and adapted for the reception of associated key means insertable through said strap to hold the group in precompression.

5. A package spring group comprising spaced spring plates, a plurality of springs confined therebetween, a friction post carried by one of the plates, an opening through said one plate extending through the post from endV to Vend thereof, said post having an integral rib within said opening at the extremity thereof remote from said one plate, and a U-shaped retainer receiving said rib and secured to the other plate, and means carried by said other plate for developing friction against said post. Y

6. A'Ypackage spring vgroup, according v,to claim 5, wherein the post is provided with spaced aligned slots inwardly of the rib and in alignment therewith for the reception of associated key means adapted to extend through the retainer when the groupY is precompressed.

"LIn a.sprng .group having spaced top and bottom plateswithcoil springs therebetween; the combination of a hollow rectangular friction post connected to said bottom plate centrally of said springs andextending vertically upward from the bottom plate and having an opening extending from end to end and through said bottom plate, said post comprising spaced transverse and longitudinal walls, a pair of spaced friction plates secured on external sides of said longitudinal walls, a horizontally disposed internal rib connected to said transverse walls,wedge means secured to said top plate, a pair of friction shoes 'in wedge engagement with said wedge means and in frictional engagement with said `friction plates, resilient means compressed between the top plate and shoes for urging the shoes into engagement with the friction plates, and a U-shaped strap 'secured to said top plate and encompassing'said'rib to prevent disassembly of the spring group and-to permit lateral as well as rocking motionf'of the top plate relative to the bottom plate.

8. n spring group of rthe character described comprising a bottom plate with a spring seat at each corner thereof, a plurality of coil springs positioned in said seats, a hollow rectangular friction post connected to said plate centrally of' said springs and extending vertically upward `and having an opening extending from end to end and through said plate, said post comprising spaced transverse and longitudinal walls, Ya pair of spaced frictionplates secured on'external-sides of said longitudinal walls, a Ypair of'aligned'and spaced slots in said transverse walls, a horizon*- tally disposed internal rib connected to said transverse walls, a top plate having a spring Aseat at each corner thereof and being supported by said coil springs, a pair of spaced sidewalls depending vertically downwardly from said tcp plate and having aligned wedge shaped ledges at the ends of the walls converging toward .the friction plates, a pair of vfriction shoes each .having spaced wedge surfaces in engagement with the respective ledges and a friction surface in engagement 4with the respective friction wall, spring means compressed between the top plate and shoes for urging the same into engagement with the friction plates, and a U-shaped strapsecured at its ends to said top plate and encompassing said rib to accommodate lateral as well as rocking movement of the 'top plate relative to the bottom plate and to prevent disassembly of the spring group.

ROBERT'B. COTTRELL.

ARTHURT. RICHARDSON, JR.,

References Cited in the fiile of this patent UNITED STATESPATENTS 

